3 Patriots in 71-80 Group of NFL.com's Top 101 Potential Free Agents

The Vikings.com 2018 Free Agency Primer series uses NFL.com’s Top 101 Free Agents list to break down this year’s class. We will count down the groups of players until March 14 when free agency is scheduled to open.

The list was composed by Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. Career stats are taken from NFL.com and/or pro-football-reference.com and apply to regular seasons, unless noted.

Note: The list may end up changing prior to free agency opening, but this breakdown is updated as of March 5.

This grouping includes three Patriots. New England acquired running back Rex Burkhead in free agency last year and receiver Danny Amendola back in 2013. The Patriots also drafted offensive lineman Cameron Fleming in 2014. The three players have appeared in 26 combined postseason games, including two by Burkhead with Cincinnati.

After becoming a starter for Oakland in his second season and opening 52 games from 2009-12, Branch has played in just 36 games in the past five seasons. He started all nine he played for Arizona in 2017.

Ngata has missed 16 games in the past three seasons with Detroit but has been impactful when healthy. He only missed nine games in his first nine pro seasons with Baltimore.

73. RB Rex Burkhead, Patriots

52 career games; four starts; 151 carries for 639 yards (4.2 yards per carry) and eight rushing touchdowns; 64 receptions for 542 yards and four touchdowns

The former Nebraska Cornhusker and Cincinnati Bengal found the end zone eight times in 10 games with the Patriots in 2017. He totaled 528 yards from scrimmage on 94 combined touches.

74. C John Sullivan, Rams

137 career games; 109 starts

After joining the Vikings as a sixth-round pick in 2008, Sullivan bounced back from missing all of 2015 as a reserve in Washington in 2016. He then headed west and started all 15 games he played for the Rams last season.

After yo-yo-ing as an undrafted rookie in 2014 with New Orleans, Davis was claimed by Denver in November 2014. He has played in 46 of 48 possible games the past three seasons and made 29 starts since 2016.

77. T Cameron Fleming, Patriots

47 career games; 20 starts

A fourth-round pick in 2014, Fleming has started 18 of 40 games played since 2015. He also has played in nine postseason contests, including three Super Bowls, since 2014.